The course
One fantastic thing about university is that everyone has chosen to be there, and has chosen a course that they really want to do. Students are actually interested in what is being taught, and they want to learn and do the work. I have found that the atmosphere in Philosophy lectures and seminars is vibrant and engaging.
Modules
In 1st Year, you do certain core modules that help to build your foundational knowledge of philosophy, and work out what part of philosophy interests you. In 2nd and 3rd Year, you get to pick most of your modules, although this depends on whether you’re doing single-subject Philosophy or not. This has really helped me to engage with philosophy and the specific areas I am interested in.
One module I am doing this term is Grief and Loss. This module is based on a research project about Grief, which is being carried out by Department staff. This gives you first-hand experience of how philosophical ideas are developed and researched. I had my first lecture for it earlier this week. The lecture was an hour and a half, and that time flew by. I walked out of the lecture excited, and have been contemplating the questions raised all week. What is an emotion? Is grief an emotion?
Alongside lectures, you also have seminars and readings for each module. For my Grief and Loss module, I had a couple of readings to complete. Because I am interested in the topic and find it stimulating, I really enjoyed these readings. The seminar was really interesting; we discussed whether or not emotion can be defined, the temporality of emotion, and how we can understand grief in this context.
This is just one example of a module that you could take if you do Philosophy at York. It may not be your thing, and that’s okay. There are so many different options and a range of modules, and this is partly what makes the course so fantastic.
The people
Your university experience isn’t just about the course content, but also the people who run it, as well as your fellow coursemates. Philosophy is a social subject – views and ideas only develop and grow when discussed with others. Because of this, the people and atmosphere of the Department is so important and, in my experience, has been amazing at York.
Most modules you take will be run by different people, which really introduces you to different staff and styles of teaching. Philosophy lecturers run modules on things that they are interested in and passionate about. They all have different personalities, and make you engage in each module differently. One of my lecturers made philosophy Valentines cards about that week’s reading, and another sent essay feedback in personalised voice notes.
Something unique about university is that people come from all over, with different views and different experiences in life. This really enriches the course and adds to Philosophy at York. The friendships and relationships I have formed here are so different from my friendships at home, but in a fantastic way.
I live with three other Philosophy students from different backgrounds and parts of the world. This helps me to think about things in different ways, and form new and alternative perspectives. The debate about whether eggs go in the fridge or not is one that will never be solved.
The social side
A big part of university life is societies and engaging in social activities. The Department of Philosophy currently has two students who run a tea and coffee morning on Thursdays, SocraTeas. This allows students to get to know each other outside of a classroom setting, and from different years. It was through SocraTeas that I met one of my closest friends.
The Department also hosts social events. At the end of last term, there was a Christmas party with games, food and wine. It was really good to get to know different staff members and students.
There is also a Philosophy Society that works closely with the Department. They host a mixture of social events and philosophy-focused events. Last term there were pub crawls, the annual Toga party, and debates about things like organ donation. Going to these socials is one of the highlights of my week, and is how I got to know most of my friends and my flatmates.
There is so much more I could say about Philosophy at York. It is such an engaging and lovely course. I have loved every minute of it, and I am sure you will too!
Leave a Reply